“ANTI-WELSH” is a term that should not form part of political discourse in Wales, according to a likely Welsh Labour leadership contender.

“ANTI-WELSH” is a term that should not form part of political discourse in Wales, according to a likely Welsh Labour leadership contender.

In what could be interpreted as an indirect criticism of First Minister Rhodri Morgan, Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney AM Huw Lewis said use of the description was as unacceptable as the right-wing attempt to smear Barack Obama as “anti-American” during the recent US presidential election campaign.

Earlier this week a book published by the Institute of Welsh Affairs included a chapter written by Mr Morgan in which he argued that Labour needed to counteract perceptions that it was anti-Welsh.

The First Minister suggested Labour’s loss of seats in West Wales was partly attributable to its being the only party that did not back calls for extra Welsh language rights. Mr Morgan said regaining support in such areas was essential if Labour was ever to have a chance of winning an overall majority at the Assembly.

Speaking ahead of the Institute of Welsh Politics annual lecture he is delivering in Aberystwyth on Monday, Mr Lewis said: “I’m deeply worried about this phrase ‘anti-Welsh’ and I think it could represent quite a dangerous departure in our political conversation in Wales. If you consider how that kind of idea is used elsewhere in the world when talking about fellow citizens, like ‘anti-American’ for example, it is a phrase that is essentially used as a smear to shut down debate. It is low politics really and quite an offensive and divisive thing to say. We should be very careful about using the phrase in Welsh politics.

“I’ve always thought that promoting and denigrating national identities is a very dangerous game for politicians to get involved in. If you look at the recent American elections there was this huge popular backlash against ultra-conservatives labelling people as anti-American. It is the kind of territory that progressive politicians should be very careful in exploring. We should not give currency to the phrase.”

Mr Lewis’ comments were backed by Rachel Banner, an executive committee member of True Wales, the group set up to campaign against primary law-making powers for the National Assembly.

Ms Banner, a teacher from Pontypool and a Labour Party member, said: “We are in complete agreement with the sentiments expressed by Huw Lewis. We have been called anti-Welsh because of our position against more powers for the Assembly, which we see as the slippery slope to independence.

“Welshness shouldn’t be about holding one point of view. There are many ways in which Welshness can be expressed – it’s a question of diversity.

“True Wales is a cross-party campaign, but speaking as a member of the Labour Party I don’t understand what Rhodri Morgan means when he criticises some party members for being anti-Welsh. Most of us are Welsh people ourselves and patriotic.

“I don’t accept that Labour lost votes in West Wales because the party was seen as anti-Welsh. There was a lot of concern about a hospital closure programme. We need to be returning to our core socialist values and talking about the things that really matter to people.”

A senior Valleys Labour councillor, who didn’t want to be identified, said: “This anti-Welsh idea is a nonsense. The Welsh language is an issue, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. There are far more important issues concerning people.”

During the US presidential election campaign, Republican Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota accused Barack Obama, a Democrat Senator, of holding “anti-American” sentiments. She said: “I’m very concerned that he may have anti-American views. That’s what the American people are concerned about. That’s why they want to know what his answers are.”

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